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Photo Gallery: Venus

Wheatley Crater, Venus

Photograph courtesy NASA

Wheatley Crater spreads over 45 miles (72 kilometers) of the Asteria Regio region of Venus. More than 1,000 large volcanic areas dot the surface of the planet, and volcanic flows have produced long, sinuous channels extending for hundreds of miles.

Venus and Earth's Moon

Photograph courtesy NASA

Venus is visible above Earth's moon, which is illuminated solely by light reflected from Earth. Because of Venus's nearness to Earth and the way its clouds reflect sunlight, it appears to be the brightest planet in the night sky.

Venus Cloud Patterns

Photograph courtesy JPL

The Galileo spacecraft snapped this colorized image of Venus in February 1990 at a range of almost 1.7 million miles (2.7 million kilometers). The sulfuric clouds swirling over the planet are akin to fair weather clouds on Earth.

Nova on Venus

Photograph courtesy NASA

This Magellan image shows a nova in the Themis Regio region of Venus. About 155 miles (250 kilometers) in diameter, this nova—or radial network of fault-bordered depressions called grabens—is one of about 50 novae identified on Venus.